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Patented Oct. 27, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

ALBERT J. SI'IROPE, OF MEOHANICSVILLE, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOSEPH K. MILBOURNE, OF SAME PLACE.

DEVICE FOR OPENING OR CLOSING GATES BARN-DOORS, 800.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 570,412, dated October 2'7, 1896.

Application filed March 30, 1896.

To all whont it may UOILCGI'Yl/J Be it known that I, ALBERT J. SHROPE, of Hechanicsville, in the county of Cedar and State of Iowa, have invented a new and novel Device for Opening and Closing Gates, Barn- Doors, and other Closures, of which the following is a clear and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and simple means to open and close gates, IO barn-doors, &c., which is easily made, durable in construction, and can be easily operated.

The invention consists of the construction and novel combination and arrangement of the parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device, showing the gate partially open. Figs. 2 and 3 represent sectional views in detail. Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation in detail. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of my devices attached to a barn door or doors.

The gate is hung and travels with its upper rail M on the rollers N and N and is held in place by rollers N N above the lower rail M. The rollers are grooved and adapted to receive the edges of the rails M and M and are mounted on posts 10 and 11.

The gate is composed of horizontal rails, woven wire, and vertical braces. To the vertical brace 3 is pivoted by one end the bar J. Its other end is pivoted to the vertical lever E. The upper end of lever E is fulcrumed on rod X, which is a horizontal rod, the inner end of which is secured to post 10 and the outer end bent at right angles and secured to the cross-bar L, as shown in Fig. 3. At a point near the center of the lever E, as D, is pivoted the lower end of the draw-bar D, whose upperend contains along slot, as shown in Fig. 1. V

O is a short hanging bar bifurcated at its lower end and pivoted at its upper end by the rod X, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Across the upper end of the bifurcation in hanging bar 0 is pin X, beveled at its lower edge, Fig. 3. Near the lower end of the hanging bar C is the pin Z,which penetrates both sides of the bifurcation and extends far enough outward to en- Serial No. 585,499- (No model.)

gage through the long slot in bar D, thus pivoting bar D to the hang-bar C, Fig. 1.

F is a push-bar suspended between the sides of the bifurcated hanging bar C by the pivot-pin Z, passing through a short slot near its upper end. Its upper end is beveled to form a sharp end, which, in combination with the beveled pin X in bifurcation of hanging bar C, prevents the device from stopping upon a dead-center.

Near the lower end of the pushbar F on its innerside is secured an eye-pin Q, Fig.4,which engages the vertical guide-rod V, whose ends are bent at right angles and secured to upright post 10, as shown in Fig. 4. Around the'rod V and above the eyepin Q is a coil-spring V, extended, to bring device in working position, Figs. 3 and 4. Around the neck of the eye-pin Q is secured the lower end of the chain G. The upperend is bifurcated and the ends attached to the inner ends of the working levers B and B, Fig. 4.

B and B are working levers of the first class and are fulcrumed to the ends of the cross-barL, which is secured to the upper end of the post 10. (See Fig. 4.) From the outer end of )the lever B is suspended a rope 0. (See Fig. 1.

The locking is performed thus: The lower end of the push-bar F is notched, and above the notch is pivoted the catch 11, which hangs suspended, as shown in Fig. 2. To the post 10 is secured the lock Wbytwo staples. This lock is a rod with its ends bent at right angles to the body and at rightangres to each other, the body horizontal and secured to post 10, the long arm horizontal and at right angles to the post, the short arm vertical and parallel to the .post. (See Fig. 3.) On the top of the rail M are secured two blocks I 0 and I, each having a right-angled shoulder 2 or 2 and beveled from the shoulder to the opposite end, forming an inclined plane, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The manner in which the gate or door is 5 caused to travel sidewise by means of the aforesaid-described combinations of several parts I shall now describe.

Suppose the gate closed and to open travels to the right. The device is at rest.

The

bar D, by reason of gravity and the long slot at its upper end, falls to the right side of the lever E, and as it is pivoted to the hanging bar 0 and the latter to upper end of pushbar Fit causes them also to incline to the right. The long arm of the lock IV engages the shoulder 2 of block I and the gate is locked. The catch end of the latch II engages under the long arm of the lock IV and holds said arm within the notch in the lower end of the push-barl Iower applied to the rope O in a downward direction lowers the long arm of working lever B and elevates the short arm, raises chain G, which raises pushbar E, which carries latch II upward, lifting the long arm of lock \V and disengaging it from shoulder of block I, thus unlocking the gate. As push-bar F proceeds upward the long arm of W disen gages itself from the catch of latch II and falls into position. The upper end of push-bar F, by reason of its being pivoted within the bifurcation of hang-bar C, pushes it upward and to the right, causing it to describe an arc of a circle. The drawbar D, being also pivoted at same point of elevation, is made to describe the same are. The bar D, by reason of its being pivoted to lever E, causes that lever also to describe by its lower end an arc of a circle from left to right. The said end of lever E must necessarily cause its connected end of bar J to describe the same arc and the gate A being movable to travel to the right a distance equal to double the sine of the are the long arm of latch WV drops over the shoulder of block I and the gate is locked and open. Remove the force from rope O and the device is drawn in to position to close by means of coil-spring V. By gravity, and permitted by the long slot in bar D, the upper end of bar D falls to the left of the lever E, carrying the other parts with it.

If at any time the device is stopped at a perpendicular, the push-bar E by means of the short slot in its upper end is permitted to rise in the bifurcation in hanging bar G, and its beveled end strikes the beveled pin X and is deflected to one side, preventing resting on a dead-center. The lock falls in position. Apply, now, the power to the working lever and the device performs the same action, except in the opposite direction, thus closing the gate.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and novel, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a gate or door formed to slide sidewisc, bar J pivoted to the same and vertical lever E, the lower end pivoted to bar J and the upper end fulcrumed on rod X; of hanging bar 0 fulcrumed on same rod; bar D pivoted at its lower end to lever E and through a slot in its upper end to the free end of hanging bar Oby pin Z; slotted push-bar F pivoted by its slot within the bifurcation of bar 0 and the operating-chain G connected to said push-bar near its lower end, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the vertical lever E, and the bifurcated hanging bar C, of the slotted bar D, pivoted at its lower end to lever E, and through its slot to the hanging bar; the slotted push-bar F, beveled at its upper end, and pivoted by its slot within the bifurcation of bar 0; pin X crossing the upper end of said bifurcation; guide-rod V, and eye-pin Q at the lower end of bar F, engaging said guide and coil-spring V around guiderod V, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the hanging bar 0, bar D, lever E, bar J, push-bar E, eye-pin Q secured to lower end of said bar, post 10, the guide-rod V secured at both ends thereto and the coil-spring V around the guide-rod V; of a bifurcated chain G secured at its lower end to neck of eye-pin Q and its upper ends secured to the short ends of working levers B and B, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a gate formed to slide sidewise, the push-bar E and the upright post 10; of the shouldered and beveled blocks I and 1 secured to top rail of said gate; and the catch II suspended from lower end of push-bar F and the lock \V stapled to gate-post, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto alfixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT J. SIIROPE.

\Vitnesses:

GEO. W. STUDER, W. H. SMITH. 

